Botany; Geotropism; Plants -- Irritability and movements
the cells near the upper surface being more tender, or merely to their
containing more chlorophyll, we do not know.
[11] Cassia laevigata was exposed to a clear sky for 35 m., and C.
calliantha (a Guiana species) for 60 m., the temperature on the
surrounding grass being –2° C., and neither was in the least injured.
But when C. laevigata was exposed for 1 h., the temp. on the
surrounding grass being between –3° and –4° C., every leaf was killed.
Melilotus officinalis.—A large pot with many plants, which had been
kept during the winter in the greenhouse, was exposed during 5 h. at
night to a slight frost and clear sky. Four leaves had been pinned out,
and these died after a few days; but so did many of the free leaves.
Therefore nothing certain could be inferred from this trial, though it
indicated that the horizontally extended leaves suffered most. Another
large pot with many plants was next exposed for 1 h., the temperature
on the surrounding grass being lower, viz., -3° to –4° C. Ten leaves
had been pinned out, and the result was striking, for on the following
morning all these were found much injured or
killed, and none of the many free leaves on the several plants were at
all injured, with the doubtful exception of two or three very young
ones.
Melilotus Italica.—Six leaves were pinned out horizontally, three with
their upper and three with their lower surfaces turned to the zenith.
The plants were exposed for 5 h. to a clear sky, the temperature on
ground being about –1° C. Next morning the six pinned-open leaves
seemed more injured even than the younger and more tender free ones on
the same branches. The exposure, however, had been too long, for after
an interval of some days many of the free leaves seemed in almost as
bad a condition as the pinned-out ones. It was not possible to decide
whether the leaves with their upper or those with their lower surfaces
turned to the zenith had suffered most.
Melilotus suaveolens.—Some plants with 8 leaves pinned out were exposed
to a clear sky during 2 h., the temperature on the surrounding grass
being –2° C. Next morning 6 out of these 8 leaves were in a flaccid
condition. There were about 150 free leaves on the plant, and none of
these were injured, except 2 or 3 very young ones. But after two days,
the plants having been brought back into the greenhouse, the 6
pinned-out leaves all recovered.
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